Overall, I believe Herman Cain's ad is brilliant because of two reason. First and foremost, love it or hate it, the ad got a lot of attention from the media which in turn means lots of exposure without hurting his poll numbers. Second, Cain came out and said that this ad was not about smoking, agendas, etc. It was about being real and I think there are many American's who appreciate that coming from a potential President.
Regarding polling numbers, I believe that historically polls have mattered in terms of identifying trends to point towards the strongest candidates (not always the winning candidates). More importantly, it can determine who gets a boost in fundraising which can have a major impact on future polls. I also believe endorsements have tended to help a campaign in the past in terms of fundraising. However, I think we are going to see less and less of this as new channels of communication open up between candidates and the voters. In fact, Obama's embrace of online communication and fundraising prove the shifting trends.
The current regulations of political donations are, in my opinion, unconstitutional. Anyone should be able to give any amount of money to an candidate. The website that explained the various forms of political contributions seemed to be somewhat biased against certain types of donations based on the verbiage that was used.
I agree with your thoughts on the Cain Ad. As much as I hate smoking cigarettes and how much it annoys me when my friends or family smoke around me, it’s their choice and their going to do it. Since such a large portion of the population choose to smoke it is only fair that some political ads appeal to them as well and support their choices, instead of showing all of the negative facts about smoking. I also agree with what you had said about endorsements strengthening campaigns fundraising and other aspects of the campaign, being endorsed by a company shows a certain lack of support whether it be positive or negative. All donations and support should be accepted as well.
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